Scene One, Take One Aaaction!
by arkanghel22
Summary: Akane gets asked to join the Drama Club... but she has to pass a test first, acting as somebody we know... Fixed my chapter mistakes... is all. Nothing new yet. errr sorry
1. scene 1

**Scene One, Take One, Aaaaction!**

Fanfiction by Arkanghel22. All Ranma 1/2 characters are made by Rumiko Takahashi.

Akane and her friend Sayuri stood peering down the window of their classroom. They were watching the mob of students down at the school grounds preparing booths for the upcoming Club Week.

"This is sooo exciting!", Sayuri squealed. "I'm going to try out for the Cooking Club this year. What about you, Akane?"

"The Cooking Club? What a coincidence! I want to join that club, too!" Akane replied happily.

Some of their classmates glanced at them in fear. Sayuri sweatdropped. She'd heard a lot of Akane's cooking. She'd heard it can kill a horse. (No pun intended hehehe!)

"Umm… I thought you wanted to join the Drama Club?"

Akane shrugged sadly. "They only invite in neophytes, remember? It's not like I'm THAT good to be invited in. I do want to be in the Drama club, though."

"Drive…Humility… I like that…" Sayuri murmured speculatively. She glanced at Akane again. Then she clapped her hands happily. Akane glanced at her as if she was losing her mind. "Well, Akane Tendo, this is your day!" Sayuri said grandly.

She stepped back suddenly. Stage smoke enveloped Sayuri as Akane watched in amazement. And when it all cleared, a boy stood in place of Sayuri.

Silence reigned for a good one minute…

…and then everything went to hell.

"Miyoga Hiro!" somebody murmured reverently. A girl squealed and then fainted.

"Is it true? I want his autograph!"

"He's so CUTE!"

"Stop it! He's mine!"

The guys sniffed in disdain as the girls scrambled to get pens and papers for an autograph. Akane watched all this in amazement, especially the stranger who stood before her. The stranger seemed to preen amidst all the attention. He smoothed back his gelled up black hair and straightened his flashy coat. His green eyes roved the adoring crowd and picked up a girl which he winked at. The girl promptly fainted.

Akane harrumphed.

"What…? Oh, right…" the stranger said. He faced Akane again and fixed his gaze at her.

"I'm Miyoga Hiro, the president of the Drama Club. And I've come to invite you to join us."

Akane's eyes bugged out and she made noises as if she was strangling. She pinched herself and gulped.

"Oh, my," she said in a small voice…And then she fainted on her feet.


	2. scene 2

**Scene One, Take One, Aaaaction!**

Fanfiction by Arkanghel22. All Ranma 1/2 characters are made by Rumiko Takahashi.

Chapter 2

"I don't think this is a good idea, Ranma"

Ranma glared at Hiroshi until the other boy visibly gulped. The two boys were currently crouched behind a large potted plant, trying to peek behind the foliage without being detected.

"It's okay with you. I mean, you're a martial artist and you're used to getting pummeled by Akane. But what about me, huh? She'll put me in the hospital for sure!" Hiroshi whined.

"Shuddup, or else I'LL put you in the hospital," Ranma growled.

Hiroshi stared at Ranma. "… lesser of two evils…" he muttered. "Ah, what the heck! But I'll tell Akane you forced me into this, ya hear?"

They returned to spying at the three girls walking at the corridor.

-- 0 – 0 – 0 --

Akane nervously made her towards the Drama Club's room. Walking beside her, lending her moral support were her best friends Yuka & Sayuri.

"Don't be afraid, Akane. You'll do great in the initiation. Don't worry too much," Sayuri said encouragingly. She grasped Akane's hand & gave it a reassuring squeeze.

"Thanks, Sayuri. This means so much to me!" Akane replied, and suddenly glanced at Sayuri. "You ARE Sayuri, right?"

Sayuri laughed. "Ofcourse I am, silly." Akane breathed a sigh of relief. She was afraid the Drama Club president might have taken her friend's place again.

On her other side, Yuka clutched her other hand & also gave it a squeeze. "We're cheering for you, Akane. Give it your best!" she said cheerfully.

"Thank you, Yuka… EEEEEP!"

Clutching her hand, his face only inches away from hers was Miyoga Hiro again.

"TOO CLOSE!!! I'll kill him! Wring his neck!!!!"

Hiroshi desperately held on to Ranma as the pigtailed martial artist attempted to launch himself from behind the potted plant. He was positive smoke was coming out of his Ranma's ears.

"No Ranma! Stop! We'll get discovered!" Hiroshi hissed.

"Hmm? Did I hear something?" Sayuri turned around. The two would-be spies froze. "Guess not," she muttered to herself, and the boys breathed a sigh of relief.

"I think my heart stopped for a moment there," Hiroshi said weakly.

"EHHH!? Hiro-sempai?!" Akane yelped.

"I am so glad you have decided to try out, Akane. I was a bit worried, so I decided to tag along," Hiro explained suavely. He swept a hand on his gelled hair and struck a pose, and Sayuri & Akane had an almost uncontrollable urge to scream like fangirls.

Then he strode grandly in front of them and opened a door. He made a gallant bow. "Welcome to the Drama Club Tryouts, Akane Tendo. Please come in!" Hiro declared.

-- 0 – 0 – 0 --

Sayuri gave Akane's hand another squeeze. "Go on, Akane! Good luck & do your best!" she said encouragingly. "I'm expecting good news, okay?"

Akane nodded, squared her shoulders and then stepped bravely into the room.

Everything was dark inside the room, except for an illuminated long table sitting at the far end of the room. There sat a dozen students, and one of them was Hiro. She idly wondered how Hiro got there so fast. I mean, he opened the door for her, right?

She timidly approached the table. The babble of voices coming from the group of students suddenly stopped. She could feel a dozen eyes on her. Akane supposed she had to say something.

"H-Hello, I'm Akane Tendo. I would like try out for the Drama Club," she said hesitantly.

A voice from the panel group answered. Of course it was Hiro.

"Welcome Akane Tendo," he intoned. A gong sounded in the background.

A pause.

"What should we ask her to do then?" Hiro asked the Panel.

The group suddenly burst into action. Everyone started talking all at once as if on cue.

"Make her cluck like a duck!"

"That's soo lame"

"Make her steal the answers for next the Math test!?"

"She should do the Dance of the Seven Veils for us! Hwaaaaahhh!"

"How 'bout cosplaying as Sailor Mercury?"

"They say she looks like Sailor Mercury"

"No, I don't want any crossover with Sailormoon in this story"

"Dance the Seven Veils while clucking like a Duck then!!!!"

"A duck doesn't cluck, BAKA!"

"Who asked you, moron?!"

"Wanna die?!?"

"ENOUGH!"

Just as suddenly, the panel fell silent. Hiro slowly rose from his seat. A spotlight bathed him with very dramatic effect.

"I have the most perfect idea for Ms. Tendo's trial, " he said grandly. Bated breath all around.

"I, Miyoga Hiro has decided! Akane Tendo will act as Ranma Saotome for one whole week!" the Drama Club President declared.

STRIKE A POSE!!!!

-- 0 – 0 – 0 – 0 –

Author's notes:

A long time ago, I made a grave mistake of losing Chapter 2 of this fanfic because of my Humungous Idiocy. I had to rewrite it all over again from what I remember. Oh well, hope you enjoy….


	3. scene 3

**Scene One, Take One, Aaaaction!**

Fanfiction by Arkanghel22. All Ranma 1/2 characters are made by Rumiko Takahashi.

Chapter 3

"What? You're going to act as me for one whole week?"

Ranma was startled by the news that he almost dropped his breakfast, but he recovered quite quickly. A smirk appeared on his face. "Look at that! I'm such a great martial artist other people want to be me!" he said, chest puffing.

Akane felt her temper rising, the guy had an ego the size of the moon! She shook her head, it was too early for Ranma-bashing.

Ranma's next statement changed her outlook, though.

"Too bad you're not gonna get into the Drama Club then, Akane. I mean it'll be sooooo hard to act as me when you can't even act to save your life!"

Next thing he knew, Ranma was embedded on the floor with his soup bowl on his head, groaning.

"Ranma no baka! I'll show you! I'm going to prove you SO wrong you're gonna eat all those things you just said! Just you wait!" Akane yelled at him. Then she turned, thanked Kasumi for the food, said goodbye to their fathers, got her lunch & left in a huff.

"Akane wait! Okay, I'm sorry, wait up! Stupid tomboy!" Ranma extricated himself painfully, and went off chasing after the girl.

0-0-0-

The sight that welcomed Ranma and Akane when they got to school that morning was the stuff of their worst nightmares.

Stage thunder and lightning always announced the coming of the Blue Blunder of

Furinkan High and that was nothing new. Ranma & Akane resented his presence, it

bugged the heck out of them, but they were resigned to it since they had no

choice. But there was something worse than seeing the Blue Blunder every

morning.

It was seeing TWO Tatewaki Kunos in the morning.

"Oh Kami." Ranma groaned.

Two identical Kunos stood on the posts fringing the road towards the school

gate. They were glaring daggers at each other, but they immediately stopped when

they espied Akane.

"Oh my fair fierce Goddess! Thy Beloved Tatewaki Kuno is here to liberate you

from the clutches of the vile cur Saotome. Let me… stop imitating me!"

Ranma & Akane watched in bemusement as the two Kunos faced each other. It was

like seeing the guy arguing with his reflection.

"I am the real Tatewaki Kuno & you are…"

"… not worthy of my face. Stop this at once!"

"You cur!"

"I said stop it! Stop copying me!"

Ranma & Akane watched as the two Kunos hurled insults at each other, waved their

bokken in rage, and basically developed apoplexy all the while standing on

opposite sides of the street.

"This is weird" Akane whispered to Ranma. The pig-tailed martial artist nodded

in agreement. By that time, Nabiki had finally caught up with them and watched

the goings-on impassively. After a while, a tic started forming on her forehead

and she growled in a way reminiscent of her younger sister that Akane was quite

startled.

"Okay, that's long enough. Miyoga Hiro, if you're here to say something to my

sister, stop baiting Kuno and come down here," the middle Tendo growled.

The Kuno standing at the right wall stopped in mid rant and suddenly turned to

the audience.

"Okay, Tendo san" he said with a shrug and leaped off the wall. As he leaped,

there was loud POOF! and the president of the Drama Club appeared.

"… you will face the wrath of my bokken if you don't stop this charade this…

huh?" Kuno kept on ranting for a few more minutes before he realized that the

source of his ire was missing.

"Hey Kuno, I saw the impostor running for the gym! After him!" Ranma yelled as

he pointed animatedly at the gym's direction.

"My thanks, Saotome, I will spare you today because that impostor has made a

more grievous sin of impersonating me. For now, I will find him & flay him

alive!" Kuno said grandly.

Akane rolled her eyes. "Oh, just go flay yourself" she muttered to herself.

With Kuno gone, their attention went back to Hiro… who was busy doing autographs

amidst shrieking high school girls.

"Ehem… Hiro"

"Hiro…"

"HIRO!"

The sleek-haired boy blinked at them blankly.

"Idiot" Ranma snorted. Akane dug an elbow to his side. His yelp of pain turned

to outrage though when he was pushed aside. The next thing he saw was Hiro

holding Akane at arm's length, staring at her startled brown eyes. Nabiki could

positively see smoke coming out of the pig-tailed martial artist's ears. Hiro

did not see this, though. He kept on his death wish act.

"My dear Ms. Tendo.because I see the potential in you, I am here to offer my

services to you as your manager, your mentor, and your partner in your new life

as a budding actress. I will mold you, make you perfect, make you the best

you'll ever be…" the actor delivered his speech in such a low, husky voice that

it made Akane blush and the girls around sigh in adoration.

"What do you say?" Hiro asked huskily.

"I'll…" Akane started to say.

"I'll wring your neck, that's what I'll do!" Ranma said furiously. He proceeded

to stomp towards the sleek-haired boy but he was impeded by a group of

demon-headed high school girls.

"You will not harm our Miyoga Hiro!" they shrieked and promptly pounced on him.

"Noooooooooooo!" Ranma yelled, his last glance was Hiro's face zoning in on

Akane's.

Akane sweatdropped as she helplessly watched Hiro's lips close in as he talked.

She felt paralyzed, caught up in the moment. Boy, was Hiro a great actor!

"I'm very sorry to rain on your parade, Miyoga-san, but my sister is not ready

for a kissing scene with you," Nabiki said, in full ice-queen mode, effectively

stopping the kissing scene.

Hiro was miffed. "Who says so?" he asked loftily.

"I say so," replied Nabiki very coldly. "I'm her manager"

"Can you tell me the reason again why you're helping me?"

It was after classes, and Nabiki had dragged Akane to the Department store to

buy clothes. It seemed that she was taking the managerial position to heart.

"Come on, you're acting out of context, it's creeping me out. Since when have

you been interested in my life though you're not getting any money out of it?"

Akane stared at her sister suspiciously. "You're not Hiro, are you?"

Nabiki ignored Akane's suspicious look. She deposited a pile of Chinese collared

blouses and loose pants in front of Akane, selected a blue blouse and white

pants, then handed them to her. Akane accepted the clothes and went inside the

changing room.

"You see, dear sister, I AM getting something out of this escapade of yours. A

lot, in fact. That's why I'm willing to lend you a helping hand. I won't tell

you how because that's not how I work. Just think of my help as advance payment

for your services." Nabiki said conversationally as she waited outside. A crafty

look passed through her features.

The changing room door opened and Akane stepped out to model the ensemble she

was wearing. She also wore a bemused look on her face.

"I DO need some help, because I really want to enter the Drama club. And I

really want to show Ranma that I CAN act, just to deflate that ego of his… "

Akane said, eyes downcast. "…but maybe Ranma's right, maybe I can't pull this

off…"

"You're not Hiro, are you?" Nabiki peered at Akane suspiciously. "coz last time

I checked, my sister had a backbone."

Akane gave her a wry look, but at least she'd shaken her bemusement off.

"We're taking all these" Nabiki decided. Akane's eyes widened, and then she

stared suspiciously at her sister.

"I'm not sure if what I'm doing is right. I mean, trusting you…" Akane muttered.

Nabiki pointedly ignored her. "At least I'm getting new clothes…"

"You understand that as your sister & manager, you should listen to me because

I'm only looking out for your own good"

She gulped when Nabiki placed a dozen films and video tapes among their

purchases, and she saw the sly glint in her sister's eyes.

"So I want you to watch all these videotapes of Ranma tonight and memorize

everything about him. Okay?"

Akane heaved a sigh of relief. Maybe Nabiki wasn't half bad at all, she supposed

she was in good hands.

"Oh, before I forget…" Nabiki reached behind Akane and expertly detached her

bra. "You better get used to wearing no bra."

"WHAT!"

Author's notes: HEY! Sorry for the long wait. It's been crazy. Well, at least

I'm here. MWAHAHAHA!

Comments! Be nice please, or else... I dunno...


	4. scene 4

**Scene One, Take One, Aaaaction!**

Fanfiction by Arkanghel22. All Ranma 1/2 characters are made by Rumiko Takahashi.

Chapter 4

"Can you tell me the reason again why you're helping me?"

It was after classes, and Nabiki had dragged Akane to the Department store to buy clothes. It seemed that she was taking the managerial position to heart.

"Come on, you're acting out of context, it's creeping me out. Since when have you been interested in my life though you're not getting any money out of it?"

Akane stared at her sister suspiciously. "You're not Hiro, are you?"

Nabiki ignored Akane's suspicious look. She deposited a pile of Chinese collared blouses and loose pants in front of Akane, selected a blue blouse and white pants, then handed them to her. Akane accepted the clothes and went inside the

changing room.

"You see, dear sister, I AM getting something out of this escapade of yours. A lot, in fact. That's why I'm willing to lend you a helping hand. I won't tell you how because that's not how I work. Just think of my help as advance payment for your services." Nabiki said conversationally as she waited outside. A crafty look passed through her features.

The changing room door opened and Akane stepped out to model the ensemble she was wearing. She also wore a confused look on her face.

"I DO need some help, because I really want to enter the Drama club. And I really want to show Ranma that I CAN act, just to deflate that ego of his… " Akane said, eyes downcast. "…but maybe Ranma's right, maybe I can't pull this off…"

"You're not Hiro, are you?" Nabiki peered at Akane suspiciously. "coz last time I checked, my sister had a backbone."

Akane gave her a wry look, but at least she'd shaken her bemusement off.

"We're taking all these" Nabiki decided. Akane's eyes widened, and then she stared suspiciously at her sister.

"I'm not sure if what I'm doing is right. I mean, trusting you…" Akane muttered.

Nabiki pointedly ignored her.

"At least I'm getting new clothes…" Akane rambled.

"You understand that as your sister & manager, you should listen to me because I'm only looking out for your own good" Nabiki said. Akane gulped when her sister placed a dozen films and video tapes among their purchases, and she saw the sly glint in her sister's eyes.

"So I want you to watch all these videotapes of Ranma tonight and memorize everything about him. Okay?"

Akane heaved a sigh of relief. Maybe Nabiki wasn't half bad at all, she supposed she was in good hands.

"Oh, before I forget…" Nabiki reached behind Akane and expertly detached her bra. "You better get used to wearing no bra."

"WHAT!"

0-0-0-

"Akane, you should be getting ready for bed. You still have classes tomorrow, you know." Kasumi said as she stood by Akane's bedroom door.

Akane nodded in acquiescence. "Alright, oneechan, right after I watch these tapes for what I'm doing for the Drama Club.

"Okay then. Good night!" Kasumi said.

Akane heard her older sister's footsteps fade as she turned the monitor on.

"Just you wait, Ranma. I will be Ranma Saotome. I will be Ranma Saotome…" Akane muttered as she studied the familiar faces on the screen.

**"I WILL be Ranma Saotome!"**

"AAAAAAAARGHHHH!"

Ranma lurched away as if he was electrocuted, trying to plug the blood gushing out of his nose. His eyes were two big saucers staring at the sprawled figure on the bed.

"Wha? Aaaack, is it time to get up already? Whacha doin' screamin' like that anyway?" Akane groggily said as she stirred.

Ranma tried to back away again but he was already against the wall. "Wha… what are you doing wearing that…?" he demanded as he pointed at his fiancée. Akane peered at Ranma in puzzlement, and then looked at herself. She was wearing an undershirt & shorts, just like what Ranma wears for sleep.

"Why? What's wrong? You wear this to sleep, what's wrong with it?" Akane asked fuzzily as she stretched her arms. Ranma's face turned red, and he scrambled to the door.

"Nuthin' Get dressed, breakfast's ready" he growled.

"Okay! Okay! I'll be down in a minute!" Akane said nonchalantly. Ranma made a face and then closed the door.

Ranma leaned against the wall outside, trying to slap the blush from his face. What's wrong with him? He realized that this was the start of Akane's week long initiation wherein she'd be acting as him, so she must be mimicking the way he dresses. There was nothing out of the ordinary with girls wearing undershirts & shorts to bed, heck, Nabiki does it. He was just not used to seeing so much of Akane's smooth, creamy flesh… Ranma started slapping himself again.

Nabiki ducked inside her room again after she took a stolen shot of Ranma. She chuckled. Raging hormones were always so funny, she had a feeling she'd be enjoying this week a whole lot.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 –

"Hey Ranma, I think I have some piece of info you'd find very interesting," Nabiki said over breakfast.

"Not interested. I've got no money left, you got it all already," was Ranma's muffled replied. He was busy shoveling food to his mouth.

"It involves Akane & her Drama Club Initiation…" Nabiki said suggestively.

Ranma abruptly stopped eating, but the door suddenly opened and Akane came in.

"I'll tell you at lunchtime, it can wait," NAbiki whispered with a sly smile.

CLICK

Nabiki hid her camera as she gave a victory sign to Akane, or is that a peace sign?

"Wow, you look adorable, Akane" Kasumi said as she poured more tea on their father's cup.

The rest of the Tendo residents turned to Akane who had just entered the room. She was wearing a white Chinese-collared blouse & black pants, with soft-soled shoes. Her hair was tied in a very short pony tail. She did a pose for their benefit.

"She looks great, don't you think, son?" Genma commented. He surreptitiously stole some food from Ranma's bowl while he was staring at Akane. He must admit, Akane looked really cute. Tooth-achingly cute. That must be the way he looks when he does the 'cute little girl' act. Ranma broke his gaze with an unintelligible mumble & turned to his food again. Then he gave his father dagger looks when he realized the theft.

"Why you! You're asking for it, old man!"

The father & son sprang to their feet and started a chopsticks fight, yelling at each other. After a while they realized that they were the only ones making a sound. They stopped to find out why.

Soun, Nabiki & Kasumi were staring Akane vacuuming ALL the food on the table.

Silence.

And then…

"The Fooooood!" Genma wailed.

"Burp! That was great, Kasumi! Thanks!" Akane said cheerfully.

"You're welcome Ran- … Akane," said Kasumi faintly. She looked confused. If having one Ranma in the house was hard enough, having a Ranma-acting sister was too much. She mechanically handed Ranma & Akane's bentos to Akane. Akane accepted them & started pushing the shell-shocked Ranma out of the door.

"Bye, have fun at school!" Kasumi said.

Akane waved goodbye. "Thanks, we will! Bye everyone!"

0-0-0-0-

Ranma hopped on the mesh fence & started walking as he usually does, balanced on top. He glanced down the street where Akane usually walks… but she wasn't there. He halted abruptly, his imagination getting ahead of him. Akane kidnapped again

by a powerful challenger…kept in a dark, dank place… pleading for him to save her…

"AKANE!" Ranma yelled, fist raised in the air.

Plonk.

Akane raised an eyebrow, ready to throw another pebble at the pig-tailed martial artist. She was standing on top of the wall parallel to the mesh fence. The couple faced each other, glaring.

"Stupid. Whacha doin' yelling my name like that?" Akane asked.

"I wasn't yellin' your name, kawaii-kune! You got to get your eats cleaned" Ranma replied, his cheeks turning red.

"Oh yeah! My ears are perfectly fine, you were yellin' my name loud & clear" Akane fired right back.

As the two bickered, they started walking for school, one on the mesh fence & the other on the wall. After a while, Ranma noticed something.

"Stop copying me! Are you trying to annoy me?" Ranma said angrily. He halted and faced the blue-haired girl. She stopped in her tracks & faced him, too.

"I'm trying to learn how you walk, baka! So just cooperate & don't mind me!" Akane replied.

"Hmp! As if you can! You should give up right now, you can't act even a bit like me" Ranma started walking again, pretending that he didn't see his fiancée imitate him like before.

"I'll show you, Ranma! Ooooh, you're so irritating! You're going to eat all those words when I get in the Drama Club!" Akane fumed. She half wanted to go to the other side & pound the cocky martial artist into the concrete.

Ranma walked with his hands at the back of his head, glancing surreptitiously at Akane who was doing the same thing. He tried swinging his arms. She did it. He tried marching. She did it. He tried jogging while making faces. She did it. It annoyed the heck out of him! So he decided running. He was much faster & she'd be hard-pressed to keep up. That'll teach her!

Ranma started sprinting. At first she was able to match him, but soon she began to tire. There were also some times when she had to resort to the roofs to get over the gates she encountered. Akane really tried to keep up, but after awhile Ranma was way ahead of her & she was puffing her lungs out. Boy, Ranma was really something to endure all the training he went through, plus all the

challenges & fights he manages to get himself into.When Akane could no longer see Ranma, she decided that it was useless to keep walking on the wall anymore. She jumped to the street.

SPLASH!

"Oh, sorry dearie! I didn't see you… you didn't change?" the water-throwing old lady said to the soaking-wet Akane.

"Eeeerk… That's okay grandmother, no, I'm not Ranma. I don't change gender… Hey, wait a minute…. I thought you were half-blind that's why you always manage to hit Ranma by accident" Akane said.

A sweat drop appeared on the old lady's forehead. "Oh, I'm just little old woman. I have to get back inside now, oohhh how my old bones hurt… bye, dearie!" the old woman rapidly disappeared inside her house, cackling wildly

"That's strange," Akane muttered, staring at the closed door. Then she looked at herself. "Now I know how Ranma feels about this always-getting-wet thing," she said, grimacing as she started for school again. "Thank Kami I don't turn into something else like he does. Eeew, the silk is sticking to my skin…"

0-0-0-0-

Ranma slowed down when he realized Akane wasn't on his heels anymore and proceeded on in a more leisurely pace. Suddenly, he heard a familiar bicycle bell & cringed. Oh, no! Shampoo & her Delivery Bike from Hell! He started looking for a hiding place.

"Ni Hao, Akane!"

GLOMP.

Ranma stiffened, but there was no bike wheel embedded on his head or a lavender-haired Chinese girl hanging on his waist. Wait a minute, something's wrong… Ni hao Akane!

Ranma started running back full speed.

There was lavender, and then she couldn't breathe. Something was constricting her chest, and that something looked very much like Shampoo.

"Get offa me, you pervert bimbo!" Akane yelled, instantly reverting to punting mode. But before her book bag could connect to Shampoo's head, the Chinese girl hopped nimbly a safe distance away. Akane was about to advance to finish the job when

Shampoo started shaking her head and waggling a finger at her.

"No, no, no, NO! That definitely is not the way Ranma Saotome responds to his fiancée Shampoo!" Shampoo said angrily. "Sure, he protests weakly, but that's all…" Akane was about to protest that Ranma did not count Shampoo as a fiancée, AND

comment about how great her Japanese was already, but before she could do either one, there was stage smoke, a loud POOF! and in place of Shampoo, Miyoga Hiro stood.

He paused theatrically for effect, smoothed his hair suavely, and then gave Akane a wink. Akane had a very strong inclination to swoon.

"Oh my," Akane said in a small voice. Somehow, Sakura petals started falling all around the two of them.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk…My dear Akane, as you well know, I really want you to get in the Drama Club and taste those sweet li… uhhh… right." Hiro looked discomfited for a second, but he masked it but tossing his head grandly. He continued after collecting his wits.

"That's why I'm here to help you in any way I can. That's why I'll be acting as Shampoo so that your 'Ranma' character will have someone to interact with," Hiro said grandly, and then with a loud POOF! he turned into Shampoo again. Akane flinched. After making a dozen poses in his Shampoo make-up, he reverted to himself again.

"Enough about that, back to business," Hiro said gravely.

He snapped his fingers, and out of the bushes and the garbage bin in the corner came a couple of boys that Akane realized were Drama Club Members. They set up a TV and VCR right in the middle of the street, and made a grand bow before exiting stage left. Akane face faulted.

"Now, I want you to observe this closely, my dear," Hiro said as he popped a tape. Familiar scenes started playing, and then she realized that they were everyday settings with her and Ranma, with various other people like Shampoo, Ukyo, Kasumi, etc. Hiro suddenly paused the tape to a scene wherein Shampoo was glomping Ranma, and Akane was fuming at the side.

"GRRR…. I don't want to see this!" Akane said angrily. She attempted to snatch the remote control from Hiro.

"Now, hold on a minute, my dear. Think of this as an acting exercise!" Hiro cautioned. He rubbed Akane's shoulders calmingly.

Akane subsided a bit, so Hiro zoomed to Ranma & Shampoo. "Now study Ranma's body language… see, he just stands there taking it all in. That's the Ranma way…"

Akane knew the routine very well, but she tried to see the scene in a detached manner. Bicycle bell rings, Shampoo lands on Ranma, Ranma looks like a trapped animal, Shampoo glomps Ranma, Ranma tries running away but can't so resorts to

standing as stiff as a board, Shampoo squeezes harder, Ranma looks pleadingly at Akane, then Akane punts Ranma to orbit…

Wait a minute… Ranma looks like a trapped animal… Ranma standing as stiff as a board… Ranma looks pleadingly at her…

Ranma never LIKED getting glomped.

"Okay, shall we do it all over again?" Hiro said conversationally, rubbing his hands together.

Akane dumbly nodded. Actually, she wasn't paying particular attention to the dark-haired boy. She was shell-shocked with her realization.

Hiro grinned wolfishly. "Okay then! Let's practice!"

One.

Two.

Three.

GLOMP!

"WHAT THE HELL! GET YOUR HANDS OFF AKANE!"

Ranma was breathing hard, but he was satisfied with how high he was able to make Hiro fly to orbit.

"That was great acting, Akaneeehhh! But YOU, Saotome, you make a lousy actor. You make a lousy Akane…… Do you hear me, you're a lousy Akaneeeeehhhhhhh!" Hiro yelled as he soared though the air.

"Nnnnhhh… huh?" Akane dully followed Hiro's flying figure.

Ranma scowled at her. "Sheesh. Don't play dumb with me, Akane! Let's go," he sullenly said as he stomped away to school.

"HEY! What did I do to you, baka? Hey, I'm talkin' to yah, wait up! Okay, I'm sorry, I'm sorry! Wait up, Ranma! Baka!" Akane scrambled to catch up with the pig-tailed martial artist.


End file.
